Since retiring for the third and final time in 2003, Michael Jordan has kept a relatively low profile. MJ occasionally makes public appearances to launch a new project or product. However, most of the time, the Chicago Bulls icon enjoys his time away from the limelight.
Not in my house
Things didn’t change when “The Last Dance” director Jason Hehir approached him for interviews. Hehir needed to talk to Jordan for hours, as he was the documentary’s centerpiece. The director thought it would make sense to conduct the interviews at MJ’s home so he could be comfortable. However, Michael shut down the idea of having a whole documentary crew enter his home.
“There are certain aspects of his life that he wants to keep private,” Hehir told the Business Insider, adding Jordan was interviewed in three different houses.
“He just didn’t want people to see all that,” Jason said. “I respected that, so I never pushed back.”
Hehir considered Jordan’s socio-economic status when choosing a house. The six-time NBA champion is part of the upper echelon of society and a man of exquisite tastes. He looked for a house that he felt MJ would live in.
“I knew what his real house looked like, and I knew this is a wealthy guy who has certain tastes, so we wanted something to match that,” Jason noted.
The search didn’t last long. Even though it’s been years since people saw him in action, and he’s kept a low profile over the past two decades, people still know who Jordan is.
“You’d be surprised how quickly people will open their doors when you say, ‘Can Michael Jordan come over and be interviewed at your house?'” Hehir said.
Control
Jordan also had another demand from Hehir and his crew: he wanted to see all 105 interviews Hehir conducted so he could have a chance to respond. MJ wanted to clarify certain things, provide more context, or even debunk them outright.
“One of his stipulations was that he wanted the last word. He didn’t want his words to be twisted around,” Hehir said. “We worked out with Michael and his team to ensure them that he wasn’t going to be blindsided.”
Still, Jason got the final cut on the documentary. He still had the creative freedom to do whatever he felt would be best for the documentary. Despite Jordan’s demands, he didn’t try to exert his influence on Hehir by dictating how each episode should be made.
“One of your questions may be, ‘Did Jordan have the final cut on this?’ He gave notes on episodes, but he didn’t give any more notes than any of the other partners did,” the director of the documentary added.
“Oftentimes, his notes were just as good if not better than the other partners because he knew what the truth was,” he added.
Many claim “The Last Dance” as one of the greatest documentaries ever. It shed light on what it took to create a dynasty and put a stamp on pop culture forever. Understandably, Jordan made such demands because he didn’t want his legacy to be tarnished in any way whatsoever.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 25, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.